What this actually involves
This is what the business is best known for. Google's own review topics on the profile put key programming at 23 mentions, llave remota at 13 and car key replacement at 8 — more than every other category combined. The work happens at the vehicle, wherever it is parked: a driveway, a MARC lot, an underground garage in Rockville, the Clarksburg outlets car park.
There are four different jobs that people all call 'a car key', and they cost different amounts. Duplicating a working key is the cheapest. Cutting and programming an additional transponder or remote head key when you still have one is next. A push-to-start smart fob is more, because the fob itself costs more. All-keys-lost — nothing original left, the car has to be accessed and a key originated from scratch — is the most expensive, and it is still normally cheaper than a tow plus a dealership.
Before you call, get the year, make, model and VIN. The VIN is on the dashboard at the base of the windscreen, on the driver's door jamb, and on your insurance card. Proof of ownership is required and is not negotiable — registration or title plus photo ID. A locksmith who will originate a key for a car without checking that you own it is a locksmith you should not want near your vehicle.
A small number of vehicles need dealer-level equipment and cannot be done at the roadside. If yours is one of them you get told on the phone, before a trip charge exists.
What is covered
- Car and truck lockouts, non-destructive
- Transponder key cutting and programming
- Remote head key replacement
- Push-to-start smart fob programming
- All keys lost — key originated with no existing copy
- Spare and duplicate car keys
- Key fob battery replacement and re-pairing
- Broken key extraction from ignition or door
- Motorcycle key duplication
Hardware and key types worked on
- Transponder and chip keys for most Japanese, Korean and American makes
- Remote head keys and flip keys
- Push-to-start proximity fobs
- OEM and quality aftermarket blanks and fobs
- On-board and OBD programming; some vehicles require dealer-level tooling
What it costs
Car openings start at $89 and a customer published $80-100 for one. Key work is priced by key type: a basic transponder key is the cheapest, a push-to-start smart fob the most expensive, and all-keys-lost costs more than duplicating a key you still have. One customer published $160-180 for lock re-configuration with car key copies.
Nothing here is a bait price. The number is quoted on the phone before a technician is dispatched, and confirmed on site before any work begins. If those two numbers ever differ, say so and stop the job.
How the call goes
- 1Call with the year, make and model, and have the VIN ready
- 2Say whether you have a working key, one key, or none at all — that is what sets the price
- 3You get a price for that specific key type before a technician is dispatched
- 4The technician verifies proof of ownership on arrival: registration or title plus photo ID
- 5The key is cut and programmed at the vehicle
- 6Every key and remote function is tested with you before the visit ends